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Monday, February 25, 2013

Vatican
City, 25 February 2013 (VIS) – In an unofficial translation of the
Apostolic Letter in the form of a Motu Proprio by Holy Father
Benedict XVI and dated 22 February, following are a few amendments
concerning the election of the Roman Pontiff.

"With
the Apostolic Letter De Aliquibus Mutationibus in Normis de Electione
Romani Pontificis, issued Motu Proprio in Rome on 11 June 2007, the
third year of my Pontificate, I established certain norms which, by
abrogating those laid down in No. 75 of the Apostolic Constitution
Universi Dominici Gregis, promulgated on 22 February 1996 by my
Predecessor Blessed John Paul II, reinstated the traditional norm
whereby a majority vote of two thirds of the Cardinal electors
present is always necessary for the valid election of a Roman
Pontiff.

Given
the importance of ensuring that the entire process of electing the
Roman Pontiff is carried out in the best possible way at every level,
especially with regard to the sound interpretation and enactment of
certain provisions, I hereby establish and decree that several norms
of the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, as well as
the changes which I myself introduced in the aforementioned Apostolic
Letter, are to be replaced by the following norms:

35.
"No Cardinal elector can be excluded from active or passive
voice in the election of the Supreme Pontiff, for any reason or
pretext, with due regard for the provisions of Nos. 40 and 75 of this
Constitution."

37.
"I furthermore decree that, from the moment when the Apostolic
See is lawfully vacant, fifteen full days must elapse before the
Conclave begins, in order to await those who are absent; nonetheless,
the College of Cardinals is granted the faculty to move forward the
start of the Conclave if it is clear that all the Cardinal electors
are present; they can also defer, for serious reasons, the beginning
of the election for a few days more. But when a maximum of twenty
days have elapsed from the beginning of the vacancy of the See, all
the Cardinal electors present are obliged to proceed to the
election."

43.
"From the time established for the beginning of the electoral
process until the public announcement that the election of the
Supreme Pontiff has taken place, or in any case until the new Pope so
disposes, the rooms of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, and in particular
the Sistine Chapel and the areas reserved for liturgical celebrations
are to be closed to unauthorized persons, by the authority of the
Cardinal Camerlengo and with the outside assistance of the
Vice-Camerlengo and of the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, in
accordance with the provisions set forth in the following Numbers.

During
this period, the entire territory of Vatican City and the ordinary
activity of the offices located therein shall be regulated in a way
which permits the election of the Supreme Pontiff to be carried out
with due privacy and freedom. In particular, provision shall be made,
also with the help of Prelate Clerics of the Apostolic Camera, to
ensure that no one approaches the Cardinal electors while they make
their way from the Domus Sanctae Marthae to the Apostolic Vatican
Palace."

46
§ 1. "In order to meet the personal and official needs
connected with the election process, the following individuals must
be available and therefore properly lodged in suitable areas within
the confines mentioned in No. 43 of this Constitution: the Secretary
of the College of Cardinals, who acts as Secretary of the electoral
assembly; the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations with eight
Masters of Ceremonies and two Religious attached to the Papal
Sacristy; and an ecclesiastic chosen by the Cardinal Dean or by the
Cardinal taking his place, in order to assist him in his duties."

47.
"All the persons listed in Nos. 46 and 55 § 2 of this
Constitution who in any way or at any time should come to learn
anything from any source, directly or indirectly, regarding the
election process, and in particular regarding the voting which took
place in the election itself, are obliged to maintain strict secrecy
with all persons extraneous to the College of Cardinal electors:
accordingly, before the election begins, they shall take an oath in
the form and using the formula indicated in the following number."

48.
"At a suitable time before the beginning of the election, the
persons indicated in Nos. 46 and 55 § 2 of this Constitution, having
been duly warned about the meaning and extent of the oath which they
are to take, shall, in the presence of the Cardinal Camerlengo or
another Cardinal delegated by him, and of two Pronotaries Apostolic
de Numero Participantium, swear and sign the oath according to the
following formula:

I,
N.N., promise and swear that, unless I should receive a special
faculty given expressly by the newly-elected Pontiff or by his
successors, I will observe absolute and perpetual secrecy with all
who are not part of the College of Cardinal electors concerning all
matters directly or indirectly related to the ballots cast and their
scrutiny for the election of the Supreme Pontiff.

I
likewise promise and swear to refrain from using any audio or video
equipment capable of recording anything which takes place during the
period of the election within Vatican City, and in particular
anything which in any way, directly or indirectly, is related to the
process of the election itself.

I
declare that I take this oath fully aware that an infraction thereof
will incur the penalty of automatic (‘latae sententiae’)
excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.

So
help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand."

49.
"When the funeral rites for the deceased Pope have been
celebrated according to the prescribed ritual, and everything
necessary for the regular functioning of the election has been
prepared, on the day appointed in accordance with the provisions of
No. 37 of the present Constitution for the opening of the Conclave,
all Cardinals shall meet in the Basilica of Saint Peter's in the
Vatican, or elsewhere, should circumstances warrant it, in order to
take part in a solemn Eucharistic celebration with the Votive Mass
Pro Eligendo Papa. This celebration should preferably take place at a
suitable hour in the morning, so that in the afternoon the
prescriptions of the following Numbers of this Constitution can be
carried out."

50.
"From the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, where they
will assemble at a suitable hour in the afternoon, the Cardinal
electors, in choir dress, and invoking the assistance of the Holy
Spirit with the chant of the Veni Creator, will solemnly process to
the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, where the election will
be held. The Vice-Camerlengo, the Auditor General of the Apostolic
Camera and two members of each of the Colleges of Protonotaries
Apostolic de Numero Participantium, of Prelate Auditors of the Roman
Rota and of Prelate Clerics of the Apostolic Camera will take part in
the procession."

51
§2. "It will therefore be the responsibility of the College of
Cardinals, operating under the authority and responsibility of the
Camerlengo, assisted by the Particular Congregation mentioned in No.
7 of the present Constitution, and with the outside assistance of the
Vice-Camerlengo and of the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, to
make all prior arrangements for the interior of the Sistine Chapel
and adjacent areas to be prepared, so that the orderly election and
its privacy will be ensured."

55
§ 3. "Should any infraction whatsoever of this norm occur,
those responsible should know that they will incur the penalty of
automatic (latae sententiae) excommunication reserved to the
Apostolic See."

62.
"Since the forms of election known as per acclamationem seu
inspirationem and per compromissum are abolished, the form of
electing the Roman Pontiff shall henceforth be per scrutinium alone.

I
therefore decree that for the valid election of the Roman Pontiff at
least two thirds of the votes are required, calculated on the basis
of the total number of electors present and voting."

64.
"The voting process is carried out in three phases. The first
phase, which can be called the pre-scrutiny, comprises: 1) the
preparation and distribution of the ballot papers by the Masters of
Ceremonies – they will have been readmitted in the meantime,
together with the Secretary of the College of Cardinals and the
Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations – who give at least two or
three to each Cardinal elector; 2) the drawing by lot, from among all
the Cardinal electors, of three Scrutineers, of three persons charged
with collecting the votes of the sick, called for the sake of brevity
Infirmarii, and of three Revisers; this drawing is carried out in
public by the junior Cardinal Deacon, who draws out nine names, one
after another, of those who shall carry out these tasks; 3) if, in
the drawing of lots for the Scrutineers, Infirmarii and Revisers,
there should come out the names of Cardinal electors who because of
infirmity or other reasons are unable to carry out these tasks, the
names of others who are not impeded are to be drawn in their place.
The first three drawn will act as Scrutineers, the second three as
Infirmarii and the last three as Revisers.

70
§ 2. "The Scrutineers add up all the votes that each individual
has received, and if no one has obtained at least two thirds of the
votes on that ballot, the Pope has not been elected; if however it
turns out that someone has obtained at least two thirds of the votes,
the canonically valid election of the Roman Pontiff has taken place."

75.
"If the balloting mentioned in Nos. 72, 73 and 74 of the
aforementioned Constitution does not result in an election, one day
shall be dedicated to prayer, reflection and dialogue; in the
successive balloting, observing the order established in No. 74 of
the same Constitution, only the two names which received the greatest
number of votes in the previous scrutiny, will have passive voice.
There can be no waiving of the requirement that, in these ballots
too, for a valid election to take place there must be a clear
majority of at least two thirds of the votes of the Cardinals present
and voting. In these ballots the two names having passive voice do
not have active voice."

87.
"When the election has canonically taken place, the junior
Cardinal Deacon summons into the hall of election the Secretary of
the College of Cardinals, the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations
and two Masters of Ceremonies. Then the Cardinal Dean, or the
Cardinal who is first in order and seniority, in the name of the
whole College of electors, asks the consent of the one elected in the
following words: Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme
Pontiff? And, as soon as he has received the consent, he asks him: By
what name do you wish to be called? Then the Master of Papal
Liturgical Celebrations, acting as notary and having as witnesses the
two Masters of Ceremonies, draws up a document certifying acceptance
by the new Pope and the name taken by him."

"All
that I have laid down in this Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio I
hereby order to be wholly observed, anything to the contrary
notwithstanding."

"This
document will enter into effect immediately upon its publication in
L’Osservatore Romano."

"Given
in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 22 February in the year 2013, the
eighth of my Pontificate."

Vatican
City, 25 February 2013
(VIS) – The Holy Father sent a telegram of condolence to Bishop Guy
Harpigny of Tournai, Belgium on the death of Cardinal Julien Ries,
titular archbishop of Bellicastrum and cardinal-deacon of
Sant’Antonio di Padova a Circonvallazione Appia. The cardinal died
on Saturday at the age of 92.

The
Pope recalled the cardinal as one of the most renown specialists in
history of religions, affirming that “through education and
research ... he always had the desire to testify to his faith among
his contemporaries in a spirit of dialogue.” Benedict XVI asked God
to welcome into the light of eternal life, “this eminent man of
faith” and sent his heartfelt condolences to his family and
relatives, and to the “Famille de l'Œuvre” Sisters who always
accompanied him.

Vatican
City, 25 February 2013
(VIS) – Following is the text of the communique published this
morning by the Press Office of the Holy See:

“This
morning, the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Herranz,
Cardinal Tomko, and Cardinal De Giorgi, members of the Commission of
Cardinals appointed to investigate into the leak of reserved
documents, accompanied by the commission's secretary, Fr. Luigi
Martignani O.F.M.Cap.”

“Upon
finishing their assigned task, His Holiness wished to thank them for
the useful work they carried out, expressing satisfaction with the
outcome of the investigation. In fact, the report revealed, along
with the limitations and imperfections of a human nature that are
found in every organization, the generosity, uprightness, and
dedication of those working in the Holy See at the service of the
mission entrusted to the Roman Pontiff by Christ.”

“The
Holy Father has decided that the results of the report, the contents
of which are known only to His Holiness, will be made available
exclusively to the new pontiff.”

Vatican
City, 25 February 2013
(VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., sent a
letter to the monasteries devoted to contemplative life around the
world, invitign them to intensify their prayers at this special
moment in the life of the Church. Following is the entire text of the
message that is dated 21 February.

“I
write to you as the whole Church anxiously follows the final days of
the luminous pontificate of His Holiness Benedict XVI and awaits the
arrival of the successor whom the Cardinals gathered in conclave and
guided by the Holy Spirit will choose, after discerning together the
signs of the times of the Church and the world.”

“His
Holiness Benedict XVI has asked all the faithful to accompany him
with their prayers as he commends the Petrine ministry into the
Lord’s hands, and to await with trust the arrival of the new Pope.
In a particularly urgent way this appeal is addressed to those chosen
members of the Church who are contemplatives. The Holy Father is
certain that you, in your monasteries and convents throughout the
world, will provide the precious resource of that prayerful faith
which down the centuries has accompanied and sustained the Church
along her pilgrim path. The coming conclave will thus depend in a
special way on the transparent purity of your prayer and worship.”

“The
most significant example of this spiritual elevation which manifests
the most authentic and profound dimension of every ecclesial action,
the presence of the Holy Spirit who guides the Church, is offered to
us by His Holiness Benedict XVI who, after having steered the barque
of Peter amid the waves of history, has chosen to devote himself
above all to prayer, contemplation and reflection.”

“The
Holy Father, with whom I shared the contents of this letter, was
deeply appreciative, and asked me to thank you and to assure you of
his immense love and esteem.”

“With
affection in Christ I send you greetings, united with you in prayer.”

-
accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of
Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, presented by Cardinal Keith
Michael Patrick O’Brien, in accordance with canon 401 para. 1 of
the Code of Canon Law.

-
appointed Msgr. Franciszek Kisiel as apostolic administrator “sede
vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis” of the Diocese of Vitebsk,
Belarus. Msgr. Kisiel was previously vicar general of that diocese.
He succeeds Bishop Wladislaw Blin, whose resignation from the
pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in
accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.